Manchester

The old industrial bones are still visible in Manchester — wide lots, low-slung buildings, the occasional fenced yard tucked between newer residential — and the two sit alongside each other on the same streets without much fuss. Transit does the heavy lifting: buses run in multiple directions, connecting the neighbourhood north toward City Hall and south along Macleod Trail, and from either point the rest of the city opens up. Day-to-day errands pull people south to Chinook Centre in Meadowlark Park, and in summer, the outdoor pool at Stanley Park in Parkhill is a short ride east.